My heart, body, life and soul belong to you
by Lillia Amber Granges
Summary: Stevie Rae's heart is torn. New types of "fledglings" are popping up. Damien is called to Montana's House of Night. Jack isn't all he seems. The Twins are fighting. Everyone is keeping secrets, being jealous and finding confidants in the wrong people.
1. Kalona, Stevie Rae and Rephaim

_Kalona_

"You... did this... to him... Killed him," Zoey cried, her voice broken, between heart-wrenching sobs.

Kalona's face hardened.

"He was an obstacle. I couldn't get around him, so I destroyed him. A simple necessity. I refuse to let anyone stand in the way of us."

Kalona knew that Zoey would attack him. He knew that it would be painful. And he knew that he should move. But he couldn't. He wouldn't. He shouldn't. Should he?

The pain seared through Kalona's body. The power of the elements. All of them. The fire not loosening the grip of the earth, only making it squeeze tighter. The water not soothing the burning of fire, only making it burn more. Earth not helping to stop the drowning sensation, only drowning him further. And air, simply spreading the pain throughout the immortal. But spirit took the greatest toll on him. It was what was, and how he was here.

"I trusted you!" Zoey yelled, surprisingly loud, and powerful, her voice unbroken by tears. "How could you do it? Why did have to kill him?" Kalona suddenly felt like a little boy being scolded by his parent. Kalona felt surprisingly human.

"I am... sorry, Zoey," Kalona said, hesitating.

"You're not sorry. I know sure as hell that you're not sorry. You enjoyed taking his life away from him. You're a monster."

"Zoey, forgive me." Kalona was surprised at how power and control was in his voice.

"Forgive you?"

"Zoey," Kalona started, losing that control that he felt so much more comfortable with. "Please," he begged.

"I can't."

"I just want to be with you."

"Anything that I might have felt for you is gone, completely gone, now."

He saw the hurt and agony in her eyes and knew that he had caused her so much pain. She broke down in sobs, but not before she attacked him with the elements once again. It seemed to be more subdued than the first; it didn't have as much anger behind it.

He wished that he could soothe her, comfort her. But, no. He had caused this. And she would never belong to him, never be his.

_If you wish to save her, you must let her go_,a voice whispered into the night. It was eerily familiar to the fallen immortal. _In the process, although you may save her, she will not love you. You are not Zoey's Erebus._

And he knew. It was her.

"Nyx," he breathed allowed the name that he had not spoken in centuries.

And the dream fell apart.

_Stevie_ _Rae_

Stevie Rae pulled on her favorite pair of jeans, and a pair of cowboy boots, of course. She was going to the Gilcrese Museum to see him. Rephaim... He hadn't seen her in 3 days, and he must be worried about her. With thoughts of Rephaim in her head, Stevie Rae nearly walked into Dallas. "Dallas, oh my goddess, you are going to have stop scaring me like that."

"Where are you going?"

"Well, I've got some funky Earth thing..." her voice trailing off in an attempt to avoid his question.

"You're lying to me. Stop lying to me Stevie Rae."

"Can I go?"

"I won't let you go until you tell me the truth."

"What truth?"

"Are you going to see the other red fledglings?"

"No!"

"Is there someone else?"

"No," Stevie Rae said, avoiding Dallas' gaze.

"Who is he? Do I know him? Is he a vamp? A fledgling? One of _them_?

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Or is he human?"

"I'm not interested in no human, Dallas!"

"You've Imprinted with someone else. That's how the Imprint with Aphrodite broke. Just tell me."

There was a long pause before Stevie Rae finally admitted the truth. "I'm so sorry Dallas. It was an accident."

"I'm here for you, girl."

"Well, do you remember the night that we chased away Kalona?"

"Yes."

"When we did the security check, I found a Raven Mocker. But I couldn't kill him, he was too... human. So I fixed him up and sent to the depot, and when I went to go check on the others, they used him as bait, and trapped me in a metal cage."

Confusion crossed Dallas' face. "How did you get out?"

"He blocked from the sun long enough for me to make a hole in the ground."

"Finish."

"He made me drink from him. He don't smell right, but he tastes good. Real good."

"What's his name?"

Stevie Rae hesitated before answering. "Rephaim."

"He killed Anastasia," Dallas yelled at her.

"He saved me," she countered.

"He's evil. He'll only hurt you."

"He's changed. Just like you and me."

"At least let me come with you."

"No."

"I'm sure Dragon wouldn't like knowing that you Imprinted with the... creature," he said the word distastefully, "that killed his mate, would he?" Dallas shrugged his shoulders, failing to appear nonchalant.

"You wouldn't."

"You're right. Because I'm going with you."

"What will Rephaim say?"

This made Dallas think a little bit. "To hell with whatever the Birdman says."

"His name is Rephaim."

"Rephaim's daddy is Kalona."

"You shouldn't judge him because of who his daddy is."

"I'm sorry." He offered his hand. "Let's go."

"Okay," Stevie Rae said, and she took his hand as they walked towards Zoey's bug and drove silently to the Gilcrese Museum."

_Rephaim_

He didn't like the way she made him feel. No, it was that he liked it too much. This must surely be what his father was looking for in Zoey.

Stevie Rae made Rephaim feel warm. But she had abandoned him. "No, she was hurt," he said aloud. He still didn't regret saving her. A life debt was owed. But it was more than that. He couldn't let her die. He wouldn't let her die.

He felt her presence before he actually saw her. No, he felt _their _presence. And he felt a surge of anger.

"Stevie Rae, who is this?" He struggled to keep down his unfortunate hiss.

"He's my friend, Dallas."

He's not just your friend, is he?" Rephaim heard the jealousy that had crept into his voice.

Rephaim saw Stevie Rae look down uncomfortably, and suddenly felt bad. Just because she had saved him didn't mean that she would be his. Even the Imprint didn't make her his. "Break it."

"Break what?"

"The Imprint. Break this blood bond between us."

"But wouldn't that hurt you?" The boy, Dallas, questioned. Rephaim had all but forgotten that he was there.

"So what? She loves you. The Imprint should be with the one that she loves."

"Rephaim, stop acting like a chicken with its head cut off. I'm not going to do anything to hurt you... Are either of you hungry?"

"Yes."

Rephaim stared possessively at Stevie Rae as she prepared three sandwiches.

"I've got use the bathroom, be right back," Dallas said, and then he disappeared from the room.

"Stevie Rae, just break the Imprint."

"No...Why don't you do it?" She said, matching his tone.

Why couldn't he? He spoke the only reasonable answer in his thoughts. "I'm not a vampire."

Stevie Rae's cheeks reddened. "Well, why do you want it broken? Give me one good reason."

"You make me feel things. Things that I have never felt before. Things that I prefer not to feel again."

"What's the worst thing that you've felt so far?"

Rephaim placed one hand on Stevie Rae's cheek and answered honestly. "Love. I love you, Stevie Rae." And he bent down to kiss her, as he had seen others before him do. Rephaim had never touched anyone, other than to kill them, let alone kiss someone.

Rephaim's arms found their way around Stevie Rae's waist, and, naturally, instinctively, pulled her closer to him, deepening their kiss.

Stevie Rae's arms wrapped, hesitantly, around his neck as she, finally, closed her eyes. Rephaim suddenly felt a jolt of energy, rushing through his broken wing, fixing and repairing it, and then Stevie Rae pulled away from him. He knew what he would see if, and when, he looked away from her.


	2. Aphrodite, Rephaim and Stevie Rae

**Chapter 2**

_Aphrodite_

Kalona kneeled over Heath, and as he began to stir, Kalona let out a blood curling scream. Aphrodite could feel Kalona's pain. It was as if something was being torn from his body, his soul, his... blood.

Kalona disappeared, along with the pain, and Aphrodite saw flashes of couples, holding hands, gazing into each others eye's, in love. Heath and Zoey; herself and Darius; Shaunee and some guy; Stevie Rae and a... Raven Mocker?

"Kalona, you do not have to save me from Neferet," Zoey said, as she saw Kalona blocking Neferet's path to her.

"Yes, I do. I owe you that much."

Black, inky, fingers of Darkness wrapped around Kalona, as Neferet curled up her lips in an attempt to smile. "It is your choice, my love."

"By my duty to protect Nyx, and therefore Zoey Redbird, command the light to form a barrier around her."

Within 5 seconds of him finishing, he dropped to the ground, dead.

Neferet's black fingers of Darkness crept their way up to Zoey, but were stopped, and they disappeared.

Then everything went black.

If this happens, then so will this a voice said, that Aphrodite assumed was Nyx.

Zoey and Neferet were standing in a grassy field, both attacking the other, Zoey with the elements and Neferet with her inky darkness. Aphrodite could tell that Zoey was losing. The Darkness was inching, ever so slowly towards her.

Just before the Darkness reached Zoey, Aphrodite saw an arrow pierce through Neferet's heart, killing her. Aphrodite looked and saw Stark, and then there was, again, blackness.

"But were this to start off..."

"Kalona, you do not have to save me from Neferet." This time when the Darkness attacked Kalona, instead of piercing his skin, it absorbed into him, giving him power.

"You're right, I don't."He walked towards Neferet, "Tsi Sgili, kill her." Kalona sounded nothing like himself, his voice was hollow, and his eyes glowed a scarlet red. Then, the same Darkness that had strengthened Kalona wrapped around Zoey's neck, strangling her, killing her on the spot.

Kalona fell to his knees, his eyes back to their hazel brown color.

Then this shall follow...

The wheat field, that had become so popular in her visions, made yet another appearance. But this time, it wasn't humans or vampires being killed, it was Stevie Rae, Damien, Stark Darius, Grandma Redbird, the Benedictine nuns, herself and Shaunee. But Erin wasn't there.

Neferet was standing, laughing, with an innocent-looking Kalona at her side.

"_My love." Neferet's lips curled up, imitating a smile, "I don't need you anymore."_

_Neferet drew a small knife from her pocket, and swirls of Darkness surrounded it, engulfing it, expanding the tip. It moved towards Kalona, and lodged itself into his skull._

_Kalona fell to the ground. His eyes were glazed over. He was dead. Neferet turned from his body, and yelled towards the burning circle._

"_You see that love, friendship and trust make you weak."_

"_But anger, hatred and betrayal, they make you strong," a voice said, that was obviously not Neferet's. Aphrodite noticed Erin to Neferet's side, and felt guilt, sadness and longing. But then those feeling were overcome by anger, hatred and betrayal._

_And the vision was over. Aphrodite knew it was over, because Darius was standing over her._

"_Are you all right?"_

"_Do I look all right? I feel fucking shit. I just had a damn vision. A fucked-up one at that. So no, I am _not _all right." *_A/N pardon the languag_**e**__* Aphrodite knew that she shouldn't be so bitchy around Darius. He was the only that actually loved her. "Can I go take shower?" She asked, softening her tone._

_Aphrodite felt the warm, misty rain of her shower. She had felt something being ripped from Kalona, Heath coming back from the dead, Shaunee with a mystery guy, Stevie Rae and some Raven Mocker, Kalona dying twice, Zoey dying, Neferet dying, and Erin on the same side as Neferet. This had been, by far her longest, but the most direct as well._

_Nyx had spoken to her. She had given her two plans for the future. That, in itself, should've caused Aphrodite more pain than normal, but, really, it didn't. Her headache was less severe, her blood filled tears not as heavy._

_She needed to tell somebody. She needed help to figure this all out. She could tell Zoey._

_Aphrodite got another glimpse of the wheat field. _You mustn't warn Zoey of this vision. The path of the future must be decided on its own._ Aphrodite was back in her shower, but, suddenly, she felt vulnerable._

_If she couldn't tell Zoey, than who could she tell? Darius. Why hadn't she thought of him first? Because she trusted Zoey more. Hell, she trusted Zoey more than anyone else. Zoey was the closest thing to a best friend that Aphrodite had ever had._

_Aphrodite turned off the shower, toweled off and slipped on her silk jammies. She didn't bother with her hair, or make-up, although Darius would surely be waiting._

Darius didn't how she looked. He loved her for who she was, not because she rich, beautiful or willing, like Erik, Hunter and Greg had.

"_Hey Darius." Aphrodite couldn't help but smile at her hunk of a warrior boyfriend. She loved him because he was sweet, caring and tolerant of her bitchy attitudes. (What was that quote again? _"I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best." — Marilyn Monroe... Yes, she was completely obsessed with Marilyn Monroe, mostly because of her mom, but she had to admit, Marilyn Monroe was her guilty pleasure.)

"Hello, beautiful," Darius said making Aphrodite blush. She told him about her vision, omitting the part about Erin back stabbing us, and he listened intently, asking questions appropriately. When she finished, he pulled her towards him, and kissed her, as only he could.

"Okay, like totally disgusting," Erin said as she and Shaunee walked in.

"I mean please, just please," Shaunee added.

"It's my room, Dorkamese Twins."

"Whatever," Erin said, rolling her eyes.

"Anyways, something's up outside where Heath is."

_Rephaim_

He flew. He could actually fly. Kissing Stevie Rae had healed his wing, allowing him to fly once again. Stevie Rae. He had said that he loved her. But did truly love her? Yes, he decided. He did love Stevie Rae. His father would not be proud of him.

Had he not been so preoccupied with thoughts of Stevie Rae, he would've noticed his sudden lack of energy. He didn't much worry about it and put it to the fact that he had just been healed.

He felt it. It was alien to him, and yet oddly familiar. Like something, or someone that he had once known. It was definitely someone. He turned, but no one was there. Who could move like that? Disappear so quickly?

"It feels so...foreign to you, doesn't it?" She asked. It was Neferet.

"What are you talking about?"

"The Darkness. You don't feel it do you, Rephaim?

"_You well know that I have chosen Darkness."_

"_You _did._ But _she _changed that." Rephaim panicked. How did Neferet now about Stevie Rae? "Tell me her name."_

"_Who's name?"_

"_Don't play dumb with me." A whip of Darkness lashed around his arm. Neferet wouldn't kill him. But the red glow in her eyes told him that she would._

_About five minutes of this torture, and Rephaim could feel himself slipping. He knew that he was dying, but he felt the earth beneath his feet strengthen him. He knew that, because of Stevie Rae, he would not die._

_The whips tightened around him. "Darkness, make him spill the secrets of his Blood Bond."_

_Rephaim desperately tried not to cry, but the Darkness won over him. "Stevie Rae."_

_Stevie Rae_

_Rephaim was a really good kisser. Stevie Rae let her arms wrap around his neck. Dallas cleared his throat, making Stevie Rae pull away from Rephaim. Rephaim looked, and fled._

"_I thought you said that there was nothing going on between you two."_

"_That's what I thought too."_

_Dallas walked quietly over to her, and kissed her. "I love you Stevie Rae."_

_Crap, she thought to herself, that's what Rephaim said. But she wouldn't think of Rephaim now, what, with Dallas so close to her._

_She liked kissing Dallas. He was sweet, and he knew her well. She hadn't thought about Rephaim for a good five minutes, when it hit her._

_The pain was excruciating. She drew her element, earth, to her to ease the pain, but it did nothing._

"_Stevie Rae, are you all right?" Stevie Rae had heard him, but he sounded distant. All she saw was Neferet. The pain wasn't directed at her. He felt the pain._

_Stevie Rae did all that she could to help him, but she wasn't a fool. She knew that she was going to have to stick it out. Neferet muttered something, forcing him to call out Stevie Rae's name. The instant he did, Stevie Rae cried out a single word. "Rephaim."_


	3. Kalona, Shaunee and Stevie Rae

**Chapter 3**

_Kalona_

"Help me save her."

"Gladly, Kalona."

"How can I do that?"

Return to her what you took."

"But he is dead."

"His body is dead. His soul is not. You don't have much to save him though."

"But how?"

"You must die without dying."

"But I cannot die."

"Let me finish. The price that you must pay is a death within your blood, but you, physically may not die."

Her words made sense to him. He would gladly pay that price for Zoey, but for a human boy that Zoey loved more than him? No, he could not afford to think like this, Zoey's life was too fragile.

"My immortality."

"Yes, Nyx said, flashing him a grim smile.

"Fine. I'll do it. On one condition. I get to protect Zoey. Not as her Warrior, but to protect you in the form of her."

"All right."

Kalona felt a whirling sensation, and found himself kneeling over the human boy, Heath.

All Kalona could feel was someone ripping something out of his soul, his... blood. But Heath was moving, and Kalona knew that what he was doing was right. A scream finally managed to escape his lips, when he saw Zoey trying to attack him. He knew that she would ruin what he was trying to do for her, but he couldn't stop her. Yet somehow, when she came within five yards, Zoey was knocked back.

Kalona tried to help her, to comfort her, but the pain rendered him immobile.

Finally, the pain had subsided. The boy stirred, and Kalona could feel a smile dancing across his lips, but it quickly faded ass he realized something important.

Kalona was no longer an immortal.

_Shaunee_

Hey sweetie. It's me, Tony. Where are you? Why haven't you been answering my phone calls? Are you trying to break up with me? The voicemail paused, as if Tony was just realizing something. Oh, right, you're in Italy... pretend I didn't say any of that. I finally got used to your schedule, and you changed it! Call me anytime, I'll answer you... unless I'm asleep, but I'll still answer it for you... I love you, bye

Shaunee sighed. She loved Tony, she really did, but she couldn't tell anyone about him because he was human, and humans and fledglings don't mix. Except with Heath and Zoey. But they've known each other since they were little kids. Besides, Zoey was a High Priestess. Shaunee was not.

"What's up twin?" Erin said, jumping into the room. Shaunee wondered how long she'd been there.

"Nothing."

"You look stressed twin. Tell me what it is."

"Nothing. I'm just worried about Zoey." Shaunee thought that she saw Erin's shoulder's drop, something that only happened when she was disappointed. But that couldn't be it. Erin didn't know about Tony.

Shaunee hated lying to Erin. She'd meant to tell her, but every time she tried, she thought of some lie to cover it up.

"Let's walk outside," Erin suggested.

"Okay."

They walked beside each other, as they always did, and Shaunee froze, taking in the sight before her, as Erin began to speak.

"Let's go get Aphrodite."

_Stevie Rae_

Stevie Rae had to get to Rephaim, but how?

"Stevie Rae, what's wrong?"

"It's Rephaim, he's hurt."

"Stevie Rae, can you give him strength from the Earth?"

"Yeah, sure, but I need to get to him now."

"Where is he?"

"I don't know," she cried.

"Well then try."

"Okay," Stevie Rae said, trying to focus on figuring out where Rephaim was.

"Do you know where he is?"

"The gazebo, in the park, by the big tree," she said, trying to name everything that she saw, and then there was a face. "Neferet."

"What about Neferet?"

"She's killing him!""Give him strength from the earth, and I'll get you there as fast as I can."

"Okay." Dallas picked her up and took her out to the car. "Earth, come to me. Help Rephaim by giving him strength and courage to beat Neferet's bitchy self." As soon as she finished speaking, she felt instantly better, stronger, and more alert.

"There it is," Dallas said, surprising Stevie Rae at the speed, until she realized that 10 minutes had passed.

"Stevie Rae," Rephaim called, "get out of here."

"No," She said, walking towards him. "I came here to save you, not abandon you."

"She'll kill you." A tear formed at Rephaim's eye. "I love you too much for that."

As soon as the words left his mouth, a barrier of light formed around him, and Neferet disappeared. Stevie Rae ran to him, but stopped when she realized that there was an outline on his forehead.


	4. Erin, Heath and Damien

**Chapter 4**

_Erin_

_She was lying to me. I couldn't believe that Shaunee was keeping something from me,_Erin thought. She was walking side by side with her best friend Shaunee, as she had for as many years as she had known Shaunee. But this time was different. There was a sense of tension and unease between them. _It's because she won't tell me about this Tony guy. I just wish that she would trust me. She's never kept a secret from me before, I don't think._

As they were walking along, Erin saw a Kalona. He was standing over Heath, muttering in some strange language. They ran up to the room in which they knew that Aphrodite would be, making sure to move as quickly as possible. Once the three of them got outside, they noticed a figure, running. Kalona realized who it was before Erin did. It was Zoey. Kalona formed a golden barrier between himself and the outside world. Zoey continued to run, all the way up to the barrier. But she couldn't pass it. She was thrown backwards, into the air, and fell much softer than would have seemed possible, onto the ground behind her.

"Zoey," Erin cried, running towards her. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Why couldn't I stop him?"

"There's a damn barrier. If you were paying any fucking attention, you would've noticed."

Zoey looked hurt at Erin's outburst, especially since Erin had never been mean to her.

"What barrier?" she asked

"The yellow one," Erin said, trying to keep her voice from sounding overly bitchy. Zoey didn't deserve that. Well, not now at least.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Zoey said her voice faint and hoarse. Soon she passed out, and Aphrodite told Erin to leave Zoey be.

"Okay," Erin shrugged. She still had to wait for Shaunee to tell her about Tony. _Shaunee will tell me. She's probably got a good reason for not telling me. _Erin waited a few moments before going inside.

"Aphrodite, there's this guy that I really like, but..." Shaunee's voice trailed off, hesitantly.

"Is he human?" Aphrodite asked, her voice comforting yet encouraging.

"Yeah" Shaunee replied quietly.

_Shaunee would tell Aphrodite, but not me._

Erin stalked off in a rage that she hadn't felt in long time. She was angry at Shaunee for not confiding in her, mad at Aphrodite for being a confidant to Shaunee, mad at Zoey, mad at Heath, mad at Stark and Neferet and Kalona. She locked herself in her room and did something that she hadn't done in years. Something that she hadn't done since she met Shaunee. She took the razor blade put of her suitcase and let it pierce her skin. She knew it shouldn't hurt, but it did. Soon the pain was unbearable, and she succumbed to the dizzying rush, letting it lull her to a dreamless sleep. _You can have your secrets, Shaunee. I'll have mine too._

_Heath_

_Wow, she's hot. __Hotter than Zoey. She looked like a goddess. A goddess... Zoey's goddess. "Nyx."_

_"Yes, Heath?"_

_"Why were you talking to Kalona?"_

_"You will see," she said with a somber smile._

_I felt something tugging at my right arm. "What's happening to me?"_

_"Your soul is being pulled from the Otherworld at its most vulnerable and being restored to its original body."_

_"How's that possible?"_

_"A death is a life, but you cannot die if you wish to live."_

_"What?" I felt another tug, this time at me stomach and a lot stronger._

_"Kalona has died in blood, but not in soul. He is not truly dead, but his immortality is."_

_"Why would Kalona help __me__?"_

_"He's saving Zoey."_

_I felt the imaginary hand tug at me once more and then Nyx was gone. No, correction, I was gone. Kalona was kneeling over me, obviously in pain, as my body seemed to be returning to me. As soon as I began to move, Kalona fled, breaking the yellow barrier that had briefly been surrounding them._

_"Zoey!" I yelled, noticing her for the first time. She ran over to me, with a smile painted beautifully on her face._

_"Heath?"_

_"Yea babe, I'm here."_

_"Am I dead?"_

_"No."_

_"Then why are you here?"_

_"Because..." my voice trailed off. I had no clue how to answer that question. I had no clue how I was even alive._

_"Don't worry about it. All that matters is that you're here with me."_

_"Okay," I said, and leaned down to kiss her._

_Damien_

_Damien picked up his phone. He looked at the caller I.D. Aphrodite. He answered it. "What do want?"_

_"I need you to go to back Oklahoma."_

_"Why?"_

_"I just do."_

_"And you couldn't have walked over here to tell me that?"_

_"No, I couldn't. Look, I'm sorry, but I'm a little bit busy right now."_

_"With what?"_

_"None of your business. Oh, and if you'd like, you can bring Jack with you. Actually, you should do that. That'd be a good idea."_

_"Okay... how am I supposed to get there? I can't take the plane."_

_"Don't worry about it. Just go."_

_"Are you trying to get rid of me?"_

_"Yes. No. Yes. Maybe. Look, go check on Stevie Rae. Bye," she said and then hung up. __Is Aphrodite actually worried about Stevie Rae?__, Damien wondered. __No, besides their imprint is broken__, he thought shaking of the oddness of that speculation._

_As Damien was packed up and ready to head out to the plane, Jack came up to him. "Damien, did Aphrodite call you and tell you that you had to go back to Oklahoma?"_

_"Yeah."_

_"Okay," he sighed. "I thought she pulling another prank on me."_

_"I doubt it."_

_They headed out to the plane silently. Damien felt suddenly uncomfortable with Jack; it'd been that way after the first week that he'd arrived at the House of Night._

_The plane ride was long and uncomfortable, and it left Damien feeling hollow and empty, as if being with Jack sucked out all of his feelings._

_The first thing that Damien did when they arrived back to Tulsa was go to Utica Square's Starbucks and order an espresso macchiato. Jack hadn't waited for him before heading back to school. How much of that was his fault, he wasn't sure._

"_Just leave me alone," Damien yelled at Jack._

"_What'd I do?" Jack said, feigning innocence._

"_Jack, stop."_

"_Why... are you jealous Damien? I'm just making friends," he said, with a mocking smile on his face._

"_Are you trying to steal my friends?"_

"_Steal isn't the right word. I'm simply making them not like you anymore and like me."_

"_So you're stealing them."_

"_Fine Whatever."_

"_Why? They won't believe all the lies you're spreading, but everyone else will. So why are you doing this?"_

"_Because everyone likes you Damien."_

"_No they don't. Half of them are homophobic."_

"_They pretend to be. I can see how much they like hanging out with you."_

"_What does that have to do with anything?"_

"_They don't like me. They talk to you because you're Zoey's gay best friend. But if you weren't, I would be. Then everyone would talk to me. They'd completely forget about you. You'd be out of the picture."_

"_They'll know that you said that stuff about me."_

"_No, they won't. Have you ever that Beattle's song "With a little help from my friends"? Well, let's just I have friend who help me, and all I have to do is get what I've always wanted. To be popular."_

_He needed to stop thinking about that. Before he realized it, he had completely finished his drink. He was about to go and order another one when he heard someone call him._

_"Damien Maslin. I need your help."_


	5. Zoey, Jack and Damien

**_Chapter 5_**

_Zoey_

Heath. I hadn't realized just how much I missed him, loved him even, until I thought I'd lost him. But kissing Heath had been different. It was almost as if I needed him. So I pulled away.

"What's the matter, babe?"

"Something's different about you."

"Being dead does that to you."

"So I am dead."

"No. I was dead."

"Then why are you here?"

"Kalona."

I stared at him. Kalona had saved him. Just then, I finally noticed what was different about him. On his forehead was an emerald mark.

"What's wrong, Zo?"

"Your... forehead-" I started, when Aphrodite cut me off.

"Zoey, Heath. I have a message for you. From Nyx."

"Aphrodite, what is it?"

Aphrodite fell to her knees, her eyes rolled back into her head, "Zoey Redbird, my daughter. You have done well. Heat has been returned to you at the expense of Kalona's immortality. In this process, you have realized that Heath is truly your Erebus. As a reward for your discovery, Heath will be forever bound to you, giving him characteristics of both humans and vampires. Heath will live as long as you. He cannot die until you do. He now possesses that sole quality of vampires. He will age at the same rate as you, he will survive as long as you, but he is still mortal; he is still human."

_Jack_

How Jack could do this, he didn't know. At first, Jack had really liked Damien; he still did. But he couldn't stand the fact that people enjoyed hanging out with Damien, but still looked at Jack as if he were some sort of freak. From behind him came a voice.

"What took you so long?"

"I apologize for keeping you waiting."

"You should be grateful that I'm in a good mood today. Otherwise you would be punished."

"I promise it won't happen again."

"You better keep your word."

There was silence. The only part of the arrangement that Jack didn't like was the punishment. Why should Jack be punished when he was giving them everything they wanted? So what if he was a few days behind schedule?

"What information do you have for me, Jack? I sincerely hope that this isn't a waste of time. If it is, then my good mood will be completely gone. Trust me; you don't want to be responsible for ruining my mood. So now, go on. Tell me why you called me here."

"She met with Damien."

"Specify. Who is she?"

"I cannot name her. Not here; not now."

"Is she who I think she is?"

"Yes."

"I thought she was gone."

"I thought so to."

"How is she here? You said you said you bound her to her House. You said that she couldn't leave her House for longer than hour or she-"

"I know what I said. She shouldn't have been able to leave unless-" He paused mid-sentence. It couldn't be true. He should've known.

"Unless what?"

"She is bringing Damien to her House. He is the only that can help her."

"Help her with what?"

"Breaking the bond."

"But how is she here?"

"There are two at her House and their affinities, when combined could get her here in thirty-eight minutes and back to the House in fourteen. And a Tracker must have helped her."

"And you didn't plan for this?"

"I didn't think that they would help her. They didn't like her; they didn't like who she was"

"Names. I need their names."

"Carol Haptin and Kris Proctor"

"You idiot! I thought I told you to get rid of them when you bound her!"

"They weren't a threat then."

"They have score to settle with us. They'll do anything to destroy us. If you had listened to your instructions, we wouldn't be in this situation."

"I can fix it. I promise."

"That's what you said the last you screwed up. And the time before that. And every time you screwed up, even when you were a human."

"I'm sorry."

"But you can't fix it. I have to fix it for you."

"Not this time. I can do it."

"I sure hope so. Well, you just ruined my good mood, so for that, you get punished."

"No! Please don't," he begged. The pain then entered his body, making him unable to speak or move; crippling him with darkness.

"Next time, you follow directions." And with that, she walked away, relieving him of the darkness that had just been feeding on him; leaving him on the ground, unconscious and wondering why he had allied with these people in the first place.

_Damien_

"Who are you?" Damien asked.

"That doesn't matter at the moment"

"What do you need help for? And why do need me?"

"I don't have time to explain. I have," she checked her watch, "seventeen minutes to get back to the House of Night in Montana." The look of desperation in her eyes was too much for Damien to bear. He knew he had to go help Stevie Rae, but Stevie Rae could wait… couldn't she?

"Okay. I'll go with you to help or whatever."

"Yay," she squealed. "Carol! Kris! Come here, it's time to go back."

Two fledglings entered the Starbuck's, a girl with long jet black hair and a guy with spiky blond hair. The guy spoke. "So you're Damien."

"Yeah."

"Well, hold on tight, you're in for a rough ride." He held out his arm, and Damien grabbed it, as did Carol and the mystery girl. They moved at speeds Damien never would have thought possible. Although the ride was bumpy, it felt amazing to have the wind blowing in Damien's face. Damien was unsure of how it was possible for him to hold on. After about fifteen minutes, they stopped and started walking, heading towards a House of Night.

"Thanks Carol, thanks Kris," the girl said.

"Okay, now can you tell me name?"

"I'm Sierra Mann." She had waist-length strawberry-blonde hair, sapphire blue eyes and a petite frame. She was wearing a long-sleeve orange turtle-neck and jeans. After close inspection, Damien noticed something that he should have noticed sooner. Sierra's Mark was silver.

"You're mark-"

"Yeah. I know it's silver. Don't ask me why."

"Okay. So, what did you need my help with?"

"I need you to help me break my bond."

"Like an Imprint?"

"I wish. A Restrainer."

"What's that?"

"A House bond."

"What does it do?"

"I can't leave my House for more than hour or I'll burn up in flames. Going to get you, I was gone for fifty-six minutes and that was painful. Once I was gone for fifty-eight minutes and I got a couple of burns. I could show you the scars. That is, if you want to see them."

"Sure." Sierra pulled up her right sleeve, and there were scars running from the inside of her elbow and up her neck. "There's more, but I don't like showing them. They would be worse if my High Priestess wasn't able to heal them immediately." Sierra turned her sleeve down. "So, will you help me?"

"Sure, but on two conditions."

"What are they?"

"When your House bond thing is broken, you have to help me and my friends-"

"With Neferet."

"How'd you know about that?"

"Everyone's heard about Zoey and her battle against Neferet. I mean, no one knows the whole story, but I've pretty much figured out who's on what side. So yeah, I'll help. Gladly. Um… You said there were two conditions. What was the other one?"

"A question."

"Quit stalling and start asking."

"Who put this Restrainer on you?"

"Jack Twist."


End file.
